Chief Minister Siddaramaiah chaired the State Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting at Vidhana Soudha

Siddarth Sethia 

The key points and decisions from the meeting are as follows:

*Government prosecutors must argue effectively in atrocity cases to ensure justice for victims.Steps should be taken to prevent the accused from easily obtaining bail.It is everyone’s responsibility to ensure strict punishment for the guilty.

*Charge sheets in atrocity cases must be filed within the stipulated time frame.

*Special care should be taken to avoid injustice to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes candidates in matters of backlog,recruitment,and promotions.The Chief Secretary has been instructed to hold departmental meetings on this issue.

*If the devadasi system exists in any district, the responsibility lies with the District Commissioner and Superintendent of Police.District administrations must take steps to rehabilitate devadasis and prevent further cases.

*Forest Rights Committees must hold regular meetings and expedite the issuance of title deeds to eligible beneficiaries.Of the 3,430 pending cases,the process must be completed within a month.

*Once title deeds are issued,the names of beneficiaries must be updated in the land records without delay. Revenue department officials must prioritize this work, and forest dwellers should not be evicted under any circumstances.

*Steps should be taken to remove court injunctions in cases filed under the SC/ST Act.Charge sheets must be filed within 60 days.Currently,665 cases are pending investigation,and these must be resolved quickly.Low conviction rates in courts will not be tolerated.

*A decision has been made to establish DCRE (District Vigilance and Monitoring Cell) in every district,as already approved in a cabinet meeting.

*District-level Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meetings,chaired by the District Commissioner,must be held once every three months.Prosecution reviews should also be conducted.All district-in-charge ministers will be directed to attend these meetings.

*In cases involving fake caste certificates,the issuing officer will also be held accountable.Revenue department officials must exercise caution while issuing caste.